Written Answers Thursday 28 September 2006

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much modulated money has been (a) raised and (b) spent, also showing how it was spent, broken down by year since the inception of single farm payment modulation.

Ross Finnie: The Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS) was introduced in 2005. The 2006 SFPS payments will not be made (and, therefore, modulated) before 1 December 2006.

  The modulation receipts from SFPS in 2005-2006 are based on EC compulsory modulation and additional voluntary modulation applied in Scotland, and were as follows:

  EC Compulsory Modulation: £10,971,222

  Voluntary Modulation: £12,791,100

  Total: £23,770,322.

  Compulsory modulation is currently used to fund the Land Management Contract Menu Scheme, which is part of the 2000-06 (Scottish Rural Development Programme) SRDP. The first expenditure under the menu scheme was in the current financial year. So far in this financial year, £6.6 million has been allocated.

  Voluntary modulation is currently used to fund agri-environment and afforestation measures within the SRDP.

  The expenditure of funds from voluntary modulation in 2005-06 was as follows:

  Countryside Premium Scheme: £433,651

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas: £422,996

  Organic Aid Scheme: £1,045,353

  Rural Stewardship Scheme: £7,889,134

  Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme: £903,969

  Woodland Grants Scheme: £121,236

  Total: £10,816,339.

  The rules governing the spending of modulation receipts allow for some carry over of receipts into future years to fund on-going commitments. The currently unspent compulsory and voluntary modulation receipts raised in 2005-06 will all be used to fund such on-going commitments.

Autism

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made to monitor the education of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorder.

Robert Brown: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), through their general inspection programme, inspect and publish reports on the educational provision for children and young people with additional support needs, including those with autism spectrum disorders. However, in addition, the Scottish Executive has commissioned HMIE to carry out a specific inspection of the educational provision for children and young people with an autism spectrum disorder. The review concluded recently and a report is due to be published in the near future. The recommendations in the report will be considered very carefully.

Autism

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being undertaken in Scotland to identify best practice in teaching methods and best practices in the education of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorder.

Robert Brown: As referred to in the answer to question S2W-28590, the Scottish Executive has commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education to carry out a specific inspection of the educational provision for children and young people with an autism spectrum disorder. As part of this task, the National Centre for Autism Studies at Strathclyde University carried out a literature review of research on autism in May 2005. This research includes evidence of the effectiveness of different approaches to teaching children with autism and will be published as an annex of the inspection report.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Building Standards

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-23392 and S2W-23393 by Johann Lamont on 2 March 2006, what progress is being made towards making it compulsory for all new or replacement boilers to be condensing boilers.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  In analysing the recent public consultation on proposed revisions to the energy standards, it was found that there was significant support for the proposals to introduce condensing boilers into the guidance that supports the functional standard for heating systems in Scottish building regulations. A final decision on this subject has still to be taken. The analysis of the consultation can be found at www.sbsa.gov.uk.

Charities

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which charitable organisations (a) have been investigated, (b) are under investigation and (c) await investigation by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and how many of these organisations, under each category, are or have been in receipt of Executive funding.

Johann Lamont: This is an operational matter for Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator a non-ministerial department, the Scottish Executive cannot answer on behalf of OSCR. The member should therefore contact OSCR directly for this information.

Civil Service Relocation

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service posts are currently under review for relocation.

George Lyon: Details of current Relocation reviews are provided on the Scottish Executive’s Relocation web page: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Relocation/Introduction .

Civil Service Relocation

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision concerning the potential relocation of Registers of Scotland will be announced.

George Lyon: A decision will be announced shortly.

Civil Service Relocation

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to announce the relocation of any further civil service jobs.

George Lyon: Details of current Relocation reviews are provided on the Scottish Executive’s Relocation web page http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Relocation/Introduction .

  Decisions on these will be announced in due course.

Civil Service Relocation

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any review has taken place to indicate whether its relocation policy’s objective of providing cost-effective delivery solutions has been met.

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its Relocation Policy Team’s evaluation report will be published.

George Lyon: I advised the Finance Committee in June of the work being undertaken by officials to evaluate the impact of individual relocation decisions. This is being considered alongside the findings of the Audit Scotland report on a sample of relocation decisions. The results of the evaluation will be published this year.

Council Tax

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has received from additional council tax payments from immigrants who have settled in Scotland following the expansion of the EU in each year since 2002.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally.

Dentistry

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists are providing NHS services in the North Tayside parliamentary constituency.

Mr Andy Kerr: At 31 March 2006, there were 39 dentists providing NHS general dental services in the North Tayside parliamentary constituency. This figure comprises non-salaried and salaried principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners, and is based on the location of the dental practice. Information on the total number of NHS dentists (General Dental Services, Community Dental Services and Hospital Dental Services) is available at NHS board level, and is published on www.isdscotland.org/dentist_numbers .

  Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, students graduating from dental schools left Scotland for their first post in each of the last three years, showing year-on-year percentage changes.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Nicol Stephen: The information held by the Scottish Executive on destinations of graduates from Scottish universities comes from a voluntary survey conducted six months after the student graduated. The following table shows the percentage of responding graduates of clinical dentistry from Scottish universities who were employed in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK for the last three years.

  

 Academic Year of Graduation
 % of Respondents Employed in Scotland2
 % of Respondents Employed Elsewhere in UK2
 % of Respondents Employed
 Number of Graduates in Year1


 2001-02
 83%
 14%
 96%
 135


 2002-03
 78%
 18%
 96%
 125


 2003-04
 75%
 20%
 95%
 125



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency amended by Scottish Executive*

  Notes:

  1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.

  2. Percentages may not sum to fourth column exactly due to rounding.

  *The number of graduates reported by Dundee University to the Higher Education Statistics Agency has been queried with the Dental School at Dundee. For 2002-03 and 2003-04 the dental school records show a substantially different number of graduates, caused by a timing difference. In the table above the Dental School records have been included for those two academic years, in preference to HESA data.

Dentistry

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) dentistry graduates, (b) applicants to dental schools and (c) places available for dental students there have been in each dental school since 1999 and how many such graduates and applicants were (i) Scottish, (ii) English, (iii) Welsh, (iv) Northern Irish and (v) other nationalities.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Nicol Stephen: The following tables show the number of dentistry graduates in each year since 1999, broken down by institution and domicile.

  Information on the number of applicants to dental schools and the places available for dental students is not held centrally.

  Dentistry Graduates, by Institution and Domicile, 1999-2000 to 2004-05

  In the following tables are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest five. Numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

  2004-05

  

 
 Total
 Scotland
 England
 Wales
 Northern Ireland
 Other


 Total
 125
 90
 10
 0
 10
 15


 The University of Edinburgh
 5
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 The University of Glasgow
 70
 55
 5
 0
 5
 5


 The University of Dundee
 50
 30
 5
 0
 5
 5



  2003-04

  

 
 Total
 Scotland
 England
 Wales
 Northern Ireland
 Other


 Total
 125
 80
 10
 0
 25
 5


 The University of Edinburgh
 5
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 The University of Glasgow
 75
 45
 5
 0
 15
 5


 The University of Dundee
 50
 35
 5
 0
 10
 0



  2002-03

  

 
 Total
 Scotland
 England
 Wales
 Northern Ireland
 Other


 Total
 125
 80
 10
 0
 20
 10


 The University of Edinburgh
 10
 5
 0
 0
 0
 5


 The University of Glasgow
 70
 45
 5
 0
 10
 10


 The University of Dundee
 45
 30
 5
 0
 10
 0



  2001-02

  

 
 Total
 Scotland
 England
 Wales
 Northern Ireland
 Other


 Total
 135
 95
 10
 0
 20
 10


 The University of Edinburgh
 5
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 The University of Glasgow
 80
 55
 5
 0
 15
 5


 The University of Dundee
 55
 40
 0
 0
 5
 5



  2000-01

  

 
 Total
 Scotland
 England
 Wales
 Northern Ireland
 Other


 Total
 120
 80
 10
 0
 20
 10


 The University of Edinburgh
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 The University of Glasgow
 70
 50
 5
 0
 10
 5


 The University of Dundee
 50
 35
 5
 0
 10
 0



  1999-2000

  

 
 Total
 Scotland
 England
 Wales
 Northern Ireland
 Other


 Total
 135
 100
 5
 0
 20
 10


 The University of Edinburgh
 5
 5
 0
 0
 0
 0


 The University of Glasgow
 80
 65
 0
 0
 10
 5


 The University of Dundee
 55
 30
 5
 0
 10
 10



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency amended by Scottish Executive.

  Note: The number of graduates reported by Dundee University to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has been queried with the Dental School at Dundee. For 2002-03 and 2003-04 the dental school records show a substantially different number of graduates, caused by a timing difference. In the table above the Dental School records have been included for those two academic years, in preference to HESA data.

Dentistry

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people in Tayside have access to an NHS dentist.

Lewis Macdonald: As at 31 March 2005, 58,850 children (74%) and 168,233 adults (55%) were registered with a NHS dentist in Tayside.

  In addition, patients accessed NHS dentists in Tayside for 5,305 single treatments or courses of treatment in 2004-05.

Environment

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what cognisance it takes of Scotland’s carbon footprint when assessing proposals for new industrial development.

Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive does not routinely assess proposals for new industrial development. That is primarily a matter for local authorities to consider through their development plans and in their decisions on planning applications, although ministers can call in proposals for their own determination. Planning decisions are made in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Our commitment to sustainable development is at the heart of Scottish planning policy and potential impacts on the environment are significant considerations in the planning of future development.

Fisheries

Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase safety in the fishing sector and protect the well-being of fishermen at sea.

Ross Finnie: Vessel safety and safety at sea issues are matters reserved to the UK Government.

  However, under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) programme, the Executive is promoting safety at sea for fishermen by providing grant aid to fund safety training and to assist with the costs of purchasing safety equipment.

  A total of almost £1 million has been awarded to the Sea Fish Industry Authority to deliver safety training to the fisheries sector and we are making funding available to help with the costs of purchasing and fitting "Man Overboard Guardian" devices.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it would take if unauthorised genetically modified rice was found in any produce previously bought in Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that its independent scientific experts have considered the data on this material and have concluded that there is no food safety risk. Therefore the agency is advising consumers who have long grain rice from the US at home that they can continue to eat it.

Health

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the announcement by the Department of Health in England of the development of a national service framework for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it intends to direct NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to design and implement clinical standards of care for COPD to ensure that patients across Scotland have equal access to high standards of care.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) has independent status and determines its own work programme, taking full account of NHS Scotland priorities.

  Implementation of the model of long-term conditions management set out in Delivering for Health will lead to services which are fully responsive to the needs of all those affected by a condition such as COPD.

Immigration

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is offered to immigrants settling in Scotland, either as part of the Fresh Talent initiative or as a result of EU expansion, in respect of access to legal advice, health advice and support in relation to housing and other devolved services.

Mr Tom McCabe: In addition to the support offered to migrant workers at a local authority level, the Scottish Executive offers a range of advice through our Relocation Advisory Service. Recognising that the majority of migrants from the new EU members states are Polish, we have also launched an Information Guide and website in Polish. We are currently looking at providing this information in other languages.

Income

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average individual income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Malcolm Chisholm: Mean individual income estimates are not available for Scotland or Sub-Scotland geographies. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) prefer to quote values for median individual income. The income distribution is highly skewed and the mean value is much more sensitive to sampling variation than the median value.

Income

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the median individual income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table presents the median individual income estimates for Scotland based on the Family Resources Survey. Sub-Scotland income estimates are not available.

  Table: Median Individual Weekly Income for Scotland, 2002-03 to 2004-051

  

 
 
£ Per Week


 Median


 Total Individual Income
 Net Individual Income
 Disposable Individual Income


 217
 195
 157



  Source: Individual incomes, Department for Work and Pensions.

  Notes:

  1. Three year rolling years have been used due to small sample sizes

  Total Individual Income is equal to gross income, defined as income from all sources received by an individual, plus tax credits.

  Net Individual Income includes tax credits, but deducts National Insurance contributions and

  income tax payments from gross income.

  Disposable Individual Income includes Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and property income from letting and sub-letting (apportioned across household adults where appropriate), and deducts National Insurance contributions, income tax payments, childcare costs, travel to work costs, parental contributions to students living away from home, maintenance and child support payments (which are deducted from the income of the person making the payment), and housing costs (including Council Tax, all costs apportioned across household adults where appropriate).

  A number of items of income are excluded from individual income, either because they are shared receipts or costs which can not be readily assigned to an individual.

Income

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average household income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the median household income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table presents the mean and median household income estimates for Scotland based on the Family Resources Survey. Sub-Scotland income estimates are not available.

  Table: Median and Mean Household Weekly Income for Scotland, 2004-05 (£ Per Week)

  

 Gross Household Income
 Net Disposable Household Income
 Net Disposable Household Income (After Housing Costs)
 Equivalised Net Disposable Household Income (Before Housing Costs)
 Equivalised Net Disposable Household Income (After Housing Costs)


 Median
 Mean
 Median
 Mean
 Median
 Mean
 Median
 Mean
 Median
 Mean


 464
 586
 372
 447
 324
 398
 349
 397
 313
 356



  Source: Households Below Average Income, Department for Work and Pensions.

  Notes:

  Gross household income: Total income from all sources including from Tax Credits, before deductions of income tax and National Insurance.

  Net disposable household income: Total income after deductions for income tax, National Insurance Contributions, council tax, pension contributions and maintenance payments.

  Housing costs: Net disposable income but with rent/mortgage payments, water charges, structural insurance premiums, ground rent and service charges deducted.

  Equivalised net disposable household income: "Equivalised" Income is used to allow comparisons of living standards between different household types. Income is adjusted to take into account variations in the size and composition of the household. This adjustment reflects the fact that a family of several people requires a higher income than a single person in order for both households to enjoy a comparable standard of living. The key assumption is that all individuals in the household benefit equally from the combined (equivalised) income of the household. There are distinct equivalence scales used for income before housing costs (BHC) and income after housing costs (AHC).

Local Government Elections

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many electoral arrangement orders have been submitted to it by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland for the 2007 election.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has submitted 32 reports.

Local Government Elections

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many electoral arrangement orders it has approved for the 2007 local government election.

Mr Tom McCabe: As at 22 September, 20 Electoral Arrangement Orders have been made.

Local Government Elections

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many electoral arrangement orders for the 2007 election have been disputed by local authorities.

Mr Tom McCabe: Representations have been received from 11 authorities following publication of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland’s report for their council area. These authorities were Angus, City of Edinburgh, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, West Dunbartonshire, and West Lothian.

Local Government Elections

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many electoral arrangement orders for the 2007 elections have been referred back to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland for review.

Mr Tom McCabe: I have not referred any reviews back to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Local Government Elections

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities it has met to discuss the recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland in respect of the 2007 election.

Mr Tom McCabe: I have not met any authorities to discuss the Commission’s recommendations. As indicated in my answer to question S2W-27919 on 13 September 2006, I met West Lothian Council to better understand their proposals submitted during the six week period following publication of the Commission’s recommendations.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Local Government Elections

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive for which local authorities it has still to approve electoral arrangement orders submitted by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, also indicating the length of time since these orders were submitted.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland submitted their report on the North Lanarkshire Council Area on 22 August. This is still within the 6 week period during which no decisions can be made. Information on other local authority areas for which an Electoral Arrangements Order has yet to be made (information correct as of 22 September) is detailed in the following table:

  

 Local Authority
 Date Report Submitted by Commission


 Aberdeen City
 1 August 2006


 City of Edinburgh
 17 July 2006


 Fife
 13 June 2006


 Glasgow City
 27 July 2006


 Highland
 27 July 2006


 Na h-Eileanan an Iar
 10 April 2006


 Renfrewshire
 7 August 2006


 Scottish Borders
 3 July 2006


 Shetland Islands
 10 April 2006


 West Dunbartonshire
 17 July 2006


 West Lothian
 6 June 2006

Marine Environment

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce any further measures in relation to the marine environment and what measures have already been taken since 1999.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive published its strategy for the longer term sustainability of Scotland’s marine and coastal environment, Seas the Opportunity , in September 2005. That strategy is being taken forward by an Advisory Group which is considering whether any further measures in relation to the marine environment are necessary. I am expecting that group to report towards the end of the year. The strategy, and any new measures resulting from it, builds on the Executive’s solid track record of initiatives designed to improve the ways in which we manage activity in our coasts and seas. These include:

  launching the Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative in 2002 to test better ways of managing marine and coastal activity, including marine spatial planning, through a series of pilot projects now under way around the country;

  applying water quality and environmental standards out to three miles from the coast around Scotland through the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003;

  charging the Scottish Biodiversity Forum with developing proposals for a strategy to protect and enhance Scotland’s biodiversity. That strategy was published in 2004 and has led to a specific marine biodiversity implementation plan which is being taken forward now;

  consulting on the best strategy to protect and enhance all of Scotland’s coastline, including the options for a coastal and marine national park in 2004, followed up last June by commissioning Scottish Natural Heritage to report on the potential for Scotland’s first coastal and marine national park. That report was received in March 2006 and I will be announcing a further round of consultation on candidate sites in due course;

  breaking new ground by placing a biodiversity duty on pubic bodies in the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. That duty extends to marine biodiversity;

  working with the other home countries since 2004 on a fundamental review of the UK legislation that protects historic wrecks and other maritime heritage;

  publishing specific strategies in 2005 on both inshore and sea fisheries management, emphasising the relationship between environmental, industry and community sustainability. Action plans under those strategies are being developed now and I launched the fisheries action plan on 26 September;

  bringing forward the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 to broaden the scope of strategic environmental assessments, including in marine areas, beyond the specific requirements of the relevant European Directive, and

  instigating a marine-focussed environmental assessment in 2005 to gauge the likely impacts, on the environment and other users, of future wave and tidal energy devices around the coast of Scotland.

  And this year revisiting our bathing waters strategy to provide an action plan for the further improvement of Scotland’s beaches; and investing £650,000 in a hi-tech tidal underwater turbine demonstrator on Orkney as part of our drive to make Scotland a world marine energy powerhouse - contributing to our continued efforts to tackle climate change.

Ministerial Events

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the podcasts on (a) the Sports Summit at Stirling University, (b) schools to junk junk food and (c) the Athletes Commission for the 2014 Commonwealth Games were downloaded prior to 14 September 2006, broken down into those downloaded from (i) within the Executive and (ii) external sources.

Mr Tom McCabe: Ministerial Events Podcast downloads prior to Sept 14:

  (a) Nine (by Sept 18 this figure had risen to 90).

  (b) 16 (22).

  (c) 32 (33).

  The figures apply principally to external sources. The internal SCOTS computer network used by Executive staff prevents the downloading of any video or audio files other than SETV (the Executive’s internal communications and learning channels) content.

  However, the Executive web team has a stand-alone broadband connection for quality control purposes and this was used for one viewing of each podcast.

Ministerial Events

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals subscribe to the ministerial events’ podcasts, broken down into individuals from (a) within the Executive and (b) external sources.

Mr Tom McCabe: The first video podcast of a ministerial event was made available on Friday September 8. In the first seven days (to Thursday September 14) when there were a total of 57 downloads.

  The first audio podcast of First Minister’s questions was made available on Thursday, September 7, the second on September 14. In the first eight days (to Thursday September 14) there were 580 downloads.

  The internal SCOTS computer network used by Executive staff prevents the downloading of any video or audio files (other than SETV – the Executive’s internal communications and learning channels) therefore the figures apply principally to external sources.

  The Executive web team has a stand-alone broadband connection for quality control purposes and this was used five times for video podcasts, and five times for audio podcasts in the period September 7 to 14.

Planning

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-27297 by Johann Lamont on 5 September 2006, whether it has any plans to define "close proximity" with regard to the siting of mobile telephone masts in the vicinity of schools or in residential areas within National Planning Policy Guideline 19.

Johann Lamont: We have no plans at present for such a definition. We do intend to review our guidance in National Planning Policy Guideline 19 and Planning Advice Note 62, both entitled R adio Telecommunications in 2007.

Racial Equality

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-27024 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 July 2006, when it will publish the results of the review of the action plan for race equality in Scotland, incorporating the revised Scottish Refugee Integration Forum action plan.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive’s national strategy and action plan for race equality in Scotland is due to be published in November 2006.

Rail Network

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures and values the social impact of proposals to reopen rail lines and stations when reaching decisions about possible funding to support such proposals.

Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland uses the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) process to determine the best solution to evidence based transport problems. STAG is a multimodal framework approach covering five key policy objectives, including accessibility and social inclusion.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), whether the Lord Advocate can now confirm how and when he first became involved in the Shirley McKie case.

Colin Boyd QC: As I told the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, I became involved in the Shirley McKie case when the matter was reported to me in relation to the allegation of perjury against her.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), whether the Lord Advocate will publish the recommendations made to him by William Gilchrist in respect of the follow-up to the MacKay report into the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s handling of the Shirley McKie case.

Colin Boyd QC: As I made clear in my oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, I do not intend to publish the report and recommendations prepared by Mr Gilchrist.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), what the total cost was of commissioning, preparing and issuing the MacKay report into the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s handling of the Shirley McKie case.

Colin Boyd QC: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-23970 and S2W-25241 on 3 April 2006 and 8 June 20006 respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service does not hold the information requested.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), in how many cases in each of the last 10 years the Crown Office has requested or instructed the police service to investigate or carry out further investigations into an unsolved crime and what the outcomes were of these investigations.

Colin Boyd QC: This information is unavailable, as there is no central record held of such cases.

  In any event, it would not be appropriate, for operational reasons, to disclose information about criminal investigations into unsolved crimes.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), what action has been taken by the (a) police and (b) Crown Office to investigate the validity of the report in a national newspaper that a Mr Docherty has allegedly confessed to the murder of Marion Ross.

Colin Boyd QC: It is not appropriate to disclose details of a criminal investigation, particularly in relation to a specific person or persons, for operational reasons.

  As I made clear in my evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, officially the murder of Marion Ross is unsolved and the police do not have any new lines of inquiry at this stage. However, any new lines of inquiry will, where appropriate, be pursued.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), whether any corroborative evidence, in addition to a fingerprint, was in the possession of the Crown Office at the time the Lord Advocate took the decision to prosecute Shirley McKie for perjury and, if so, what the evidence was.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), whether there were two sources of credible and reliable evidence to establish each of the essential facts in relation to the allegation of perjury by Shirley McKie prior to the Lord Advocate taking the decision to prosecute her.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, whether the Lord Advocate will make public "the other evidence" that the Crown Office states was available to support its prosecution of Shirley McKie for perjury ( Official Report , c. 3705).

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, whether the Lord Advocate will issue a full explanation of what he meant when he told the Justice 1 Committee that "the evidence that was given was not in accordance with what the advocate deputy’s understanding of it was" ( Official Report , c. 3705).

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), whether, at any stage in the police inquiry or the Crown Office’s precognition prior to the Lord Advocate’s decision to prosecute Shirley McKie for perjury, there had been any denial that five officers had entered, but had not been logged as entering, Marion Ross’s house in Kilmarnock at the time it was a scene of crime.

Colin Boyd QC: As I made clear in my evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, I do not intend to discuss in detail the evidence involved in the Shirley McKie investigation and trial, as Shirley McKie was acquitted of the charge brought against her.

  There was a sufficiency of evidence upon which to raise criminal proceedings, and there remained a sufficiency of evidence at the close of the Crown case – as a result of which the case went to the Jury for their consideration.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), whether the police officers who had guarded the scene of crime at Marion Ross’s house in Kilmarnock after she was murdered were all interviewed by the (a) police or (b) Crown Office prior to the Lord Advocate taking the decision to prosecute Shirley McKie for perjury.

Colin Boyd QC: Statements were provided by the police officers responsible for guarding the scene of crime and, where appropriate, these officers were precognosced by the Procurator Fiscal.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), which ministers and officials (a) were provided with a copy of the MacKay report into the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s handling of the Shirley McKie and (b) had access to it.

Colin Boyd QC: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23304 on 21 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 ( Official Report , c. 3688), at what point prior to or during Shirley McKie’s trial for perjury the Crown Office became aware that there was (a) a professional challenge to the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s (SCRO) identification of a fingerprint in Marion Ross’s house as that of Shirley McKie and (b) other evidence to show that Ms McKie could not have been in the house when the Crown Office alleged she had been.

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown were made aware at a very late stage, just prior to the commencement of the Shirley McKie trial, that the defence intended to lead fingerprint evidence challenging the identification of Y7 by SCRO. No such evidence was available at the time the case was indicted.

  In relation to the other evidence, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28528 on 28 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, whether the Lord Advocate will provide further explanation of what he meant when he told the Justice 1 Committee that the advocate depute "also formed a view on the basis of the information that he had about Mr Wertheim and took the right decision to continue the case" ( Official Report , c. 3709) and whether the Lord Advocate will now publish the information to which he was referring.

Colin Boyd QC: As I made clear when I gave evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, when the Advocate Depute became aware of the evidence to be led by the defence from Mr Wertheim and Mr Grieve, he carefully assessed this, along with the evidence available from the Scottish Criminal Record Office experts. He took the decision to proceed with the trial, and I believe that he made the right decision at that time.

  I do not intend to provide any further comment or information in relation to this matter – the assessment of the evidence which required to be carried out at that time was a matter for the professional assessment of the Advocate Depute, in whom I have great confidence.

Scottish Executive Correspondence

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much business it has done in each year since 1999 with (a) Royal Mail and (b) private companies for the transportation of Executive correspondence.

Mr Tom McCabe: The amount of business done by the Scottish Executive in each year since 1999 with (a) Royal Mail and (b) private companies for the transportation of Executive correspondence is as follows:

  

 
 Royal Mail
 Private Companies
 Total Per Year


 1999-2000
£879,901
£83,447
£963,348


 2000-01
£887,389
£122,722
£1,010,111


 2001-02
£867,571
 N/A (1)
 


 2002-03
£636,579
£120,002
£756,581


 2003-04
£555,913
£122,839
£678,752


 2004-05
£445,919
£119,124
£565,043


 2005-06
£388,783
£164,057
£552,840



  Note: 1. No accurate figures are held for private companies for 2001-02.

Scottish Executive Correspondence

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much business each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies has done in each year since 1999 with (a) Royal Mail and (b) private companies for the transportation of correspondence.

Mr Tom McCabe: I have asked the Chief Executives of the agencies to respond. Their responses are as follows:

  

 Royal Mail
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Accountant in Bankruptcy(6)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£20,180
£28,540
£29049
£27,283


 Communities Scotland(1)
£153,777
£155,258
£87,106
£80,424
£65,548
£38,084
£56,746


 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
£180,148
£147,130
£155,674
£69,810
£39,414
£110,625
£131,667


 Fisheries Research Services(4)
£22,250
£23,100
£22,000
£21,138
£20,081
£20,724
£15,978


 General Register Office for Scotland(15)
£6,049
£2,717
£727,574
£87,856
£101,120
£52,524
£127,757


 Historic Scotland
£116,337
£119,780
£122,845
£111,561
£156,959
£136,345
£93,709


 HMI Fire Service(12)
£985
£1,064
£1,673
£1,166
£1,054
£554
£499


 HMI Constabulary (13)
£1,156
£3,849
£1,779
£1,702
£2,455
£1,831
£1,620


 HMI Education(8)
 n/a
 n/a
£31,154
££36,700
£48089
£63,566
£77,650


 HMI Prisons(14)
£652
£1,072
£608
£663
£497
£535
£615


 National Archives for Scotland(9)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£9,574
£8,273
£8,163
£8,635


 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator(11)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£1,000
£3,354
£11,600


 Registers Of Scotland
£47,718
£63,902
£108,148
£84,730
£84,940
£73,411
£70,406


 Scottish Agricultural Science Agency(18)
£12,914
£13,060
£10,803
£11,078
£7,403
£9,400
£10,769


 Scottish Building Standards Agency(7)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£972
£3,160


 Scottish Courts Service(5)
 n/a
 n/a
£574,000
£376,000
£360,000
£360,000
£362,000


 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency(2)
 n/a
 n/a
£27,831
£23,017
£19,553
£18,892
£26,272


 Scottish Prison Service(10)
£99,000
£94,000
£88,000
£104,000
£100,000
£86,000
£89,000


 Scottish Public Pensions Agency
£82,114
£59,248
£75,640
£42,547
£120,091
£118,483
£90,289


 Social Work Inspection Agency(3)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£5,368


 Student Award Agency for Scotland(16)
 n/a
 n/a
£156,199
£178,970
£189,287
£150,905
£133,950


 Transport Scotland.(17)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£13,974



  

 Private Companies
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Accountant in Bankruptcy(6)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£4,711
£7,724
£10,025
£10,928


 Communities Scotland(1)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£18,272
£33,919


 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
£211,428
£273,927
£380,035
£233,743
£287,503
£283,703
£223,014


 Fisheries Research Services(4)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£10,098
£5,618
£2,100
£3,683


 General Register Office for Scotland(15)
 n/a
£92,714
£164,490
£12,251
£10,602
£8,619
£17,657


 Historic Scotland
£30,099
£56,804
£44,614
£51,513
£33,353
£52,535
£87,539


 HMI Fire Service(12)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£1,030


 HMI Constabulary (13)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£2,063


 HM Education(8)
 n/a
 n/a
£3,444
£321
£548
£2,591
£2,734


 HMI Prisons(14)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£104


 National Archives for Scotland(9)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£632
£134
£2,546
£581


 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator(11)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£0
£11,626
£27,078


 Registers Of Scotland
£289,016
£340,544
£351,892
£226,939
£268,347
£364,632
£354,973


 Scottish Agricultural Science Agency(18)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a


 Scottish Building Standards Agency(7)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£299


 Scottish Court Service(5)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£266,000
£270,000
£297,000
£302,000


 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency(2)
 n/a
 n/a
£434
£2,718
£2,018
£3,345
£2,046


 Scottish Prison Service(10)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a


 Scottish Public Pensions Agency
£264
£105
£59
£5,401
£5,831
£5,978
£5,552


 Social Work Inspection Agency(3)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a


 Student Awards Agency for Scotland(16)
 n/a
 n/a
£165,935
£186,007
£192,835
£152,863
£135,352


 Transport Scotland(17)
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
£1,316



  The following notes relate to the additional information given by the relevant agency.

  1. Figures from 1999 to 2003 taken from Communities Scotland Annual Accounts. Previous accounting system is no longer available to break these figures down therefore all costs shown against Royal Mail.

  2. No figures available prior to the introduction of the SEAS finance system at end of 2001-02.

  3. Agency did not start up until 2005.

  4. No figures available for Private Companies from 1999 to 2002.

  5. No figures available prior to the introduction of SEAS finance system in 2001-02. Figure for 2001-02 Royal Mail is total spend for year including Private Companies.

  6. Agency did not start up until April 2002.

  7. Agency did not start up until 2004. Figure for 2004-05 Royal Mail is total spend for year including Private Companies.

  8. Agency did not start up until April 2001.

  9. No figures available prior to the introduction of SEAS finance system at end of 2001-02.

  10. All figures in Royal Mail include Private Company costs.

  11. Agency did not start up until December 2003.

  12. No breakdown of figures available for this agency for private companies. Figure shown for 2005-06 is for whole period.

  13. No breakdown of figures available for this agency for private companies. Figure shown for 2005-06 is for the whole period.

  14. No breakdown of figures available for this agency for private companies. Figure shown for 2005-06 is for whole period.

  15. No full figures available for this agency in 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

  16. No figures available prior to the introduction of SEAS finance system in 2001-02.

  17. Agency started up during 2005-06.

  18. All figures in Royal Mail include Private Company costs.

  The expenditure by non-departmental public bodies on the transportation of mail is a matter for these bodies. The information is not held centrally.

Scottish Executive Records

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that public sector organisations destroy sensitive data from computer equipment prior to disposal of the equipment.

Mr Tom McCabe: British Standard BS ISO/IEC 17799:2005, Information technology – Security techniques – Code of practice for information security management includes best practice guidance on the secure disposal and re-use of computer equipment and media.

  The Scottish Executive follows formal guidance compliant with the Standard issued by UK Cabinet Office and prepared by the Security Services, covering the destruction and secure erasure of sensitive data on Executive computer equipment. This ensures that data is destroyed using software tools and other equipment specifically approved for purpose.

  The UK Cabinet Office through the Central Sponsor for Information Assurance (CSIA) issue guidance for the wider public sector. Public sector organisations should follow the guidance and the Standard and the auditing services used by the organisations should assure compliance with it.

Scottish Executive Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its employees resided in the Scottish Borders region in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: At 1 September 2006 91 employees who were working in the Scottish Executive core departments resided in the Scottish Borders. Historic information on an employee’s home address is not available.

Speech and Language Therapy

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of research highlighted by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists showing that children with communication difficulties who cannot access treatment can suffer behavioural problems and that up to one-third will suffer mental health problems, to the detriment of their future employment prospects, and whether speech and language therapy provided at primary schools across Scotland is continued throughout secondary school.

Lewis Macdonald: Research undertaken in recent years has produced a body of evidence about the needs of children with communication difficulties. The Allied Health Professionals’ Clinical Effectiveness Network and Practice Development Unit supports speech and language therapists to implement current guidance and evidence into their practice.

  Speech and language services provided to children are determined by local authorities in partnership with NHS boards and according to the needs of each individual child. In the case of children at secondary school, speech and language therapy services are available when required, to offer support, advice and training to children, parents and teachers, according to individual needs.

Sports Funding

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide the Scottish Rugby Union with funding to cover some of the loss arising from the reconstruction of Murrayfield Stadium, in light of the contribution of £8.25 million which it and the Scottish Office made, along with the additional £3.5 million from  sportscotland through the Lottery Sports Fund, towards the reconstruction of Hampden Park.

Patricia Ferguson: At the time of the redevelopment of Murrayfield, the Scottish Rugby Union did not approach the then Scottish Office for financial assistance. However, as a consequence of the financial constraints placed upon the Union by the redevelopment of Murrayfield, the then Scottish Office agreed to invest £3.5 million over five years from 1996-97 to support the union’s development work. The Scottish Executive then supported this work with an investment of £2.1 million over the subsequent four years. The Scottish Rugby Union now receives grant aid from  sportscotland following consideration of its development plan for the sport in line with other sports’ governing bodies and therefore the Scottish Executive has no plans to provide any additional funding.